AMERICAN SUPPLIES CAPTURED

Southland Times, Issue 24115, 2 May 1940, Page 7

AMERICAN SUPPLIES CAPTURED

It is learned on unimpeachable authority that the Germans seized sizeable stocks of American military supplies en route to Sweden and Finland and may be using them against the Allies in Norway, says the Washington correspondent of The New York Times. The seizure included 500 Thompson sub-machine-guns and several million rounds of ammunition intended for Sweden and 400 Ford trucks for Finland. All these were at Bergen when the Nazi invaders took over. The British have taken up new positions at Brennhaug. 12 miles southward of Dombas, according to a message from Paris. Events in Norway are rapidly approaching a crucial point, vitally affecting not only the future course of the campaign in the strategically important Trondheim areas, but the major operations in other Norwegian territories. The tide of battle at present is favouring the Germans in central Norway. Whereas, the latest War Office communique does not take official notice of the story of fateful fighting in the Dombas area and last Sunday night’s tactical withdrawal, the German High Command claims important successes in today’s fighting, including the occupation of Dombas and Opdal, resulting in “German control of the main OsloTrondheim railway.” This implies confirmation of Swedish reports that the Germans have occupied the key town of Storen. According to the special German night communique, the forces occupying Opdal came from Trondheim, while troops moving up the Gudbrandsdal Valley from the north and south, via Tonsaet, made contact on the railway south-eastward of Storen.

Herr Hitler’s order of the day proudly proclaims that the “inexorable advance of German troops has established land connections between Oslo and Trondheim. Thus, the intention of the western Powers to bring Germany to her knees by a belated occupation of Norway is finally crushed. German Press despatches from Norway pay tribute to the courage and toughness of the British resistance in the Gudbrandsdal Valley, in which wave after wave of bombers are reported to have preceded and accompanied the German advance. The correspondent of the newspaper Afton Bladet on the Swedish frontier declares that the Allies’ plan has been completed for the encirclement of the German positions in Narvik. The Germans are reported to have withdrawn

from the heights near the town and are now entrenched on the shore. British warships are reported to have silenced all the heavier guns. FIGHTING AT NARVIK The German News Agency claims that the Germans are strongly resisting every British attempt to capture Narvik. Outside the main areas of conflict the Germans, according to reports have reached Gudvangen, on an arm of Sogne Fiord. Officials in Berlin boasted that the German air force and naval patrols are daily and nightly keeping intact the lifeline of the 60,000 German troops in Norway. Allied warships have not broken through the Skagerrak. The officials admitted the loss of 11 “comparatively small transports and supply ships.” The Prime Minister, Mr Neville Chamberlain, in the House of Commons said that it was not in the public interest at present to make a statement on the Government’s measure in Norway. Mr Chamberlain, replying to a question by Mr C. R. Attlee, Leader of the Opposition, said that he would make a statement on the position in Norway as soon as possible, probably during the week.

A small party of Press representatives is waiting to go to the Norwegian frontier at short notice. More will follow.

The Secretary for War, Mr Oliver Stanley, said that the troops in Norway possess full war equipment. A War Office communique states that in Gudbrandsdals Valley on Sunday the enemy attacked, strongly supported by tanks and low-flying aircraft. The British repulsed all attacks and the enemy suffered heavy losses, including three medium tanks. During the night British troops made a short withdrawal to a position covering Dombas. Enemy air attacks on Andalsnes and Molde continued throughout the day. The situation at Namsos and Narvik is unchanged. A Berlin message says it is officially claimed that German troops captured Dombas and Opdal. An earlier German communique stated that a Norwegian infantry force, comprising 2500 men, surrendered north-west of Lillehammer. German forces, it was claimed, continued to advance along all roads towards Trondheim and Dombas, repulsing the Allied forces wherever they came in contact and establishing contact between Oslo and Trondheim.